The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1887-01-05
DIR. TALMAGFS SERMON.
THE Z CHRISTIAN ON TRIAL THE
THEME OF HIS DISCOURSE.

Tho World, Conscience, an Angel ana
tho Holy Ghost Boar Witness Against
Him, but Christ PIeads His Case ana
IIe is snvod. s..!
BROOKLYN, Dec 10.--The Rov. T. DeWita
Talmage, D. D., preached to-day In tho
Brooklyn Tabernacle on tho subject: son
Trial." taking for his text John l, Q: "Wo
have an advocate with the Father, Jesus
Christ the righteous he said:
Standing in a court room you say to your
self: "At this bar crime has often boon ar.
raigncd; at this witness stand tho oath has
often been tal1en at this Jurors bench tho
verdict hos been rendered, at this judges
desk sentence has been pronounced" But
have to tell you to-day Of q trial higher than
any oyer and terminer or circuit, or supreme,
or chancory. 1t is tho trial Of every Chris
tan man for the life Of his soul. This trial Is
different from any other in tho fact that 1t is
both civil and criminal. The Issues at stake
arc tremendous, and shall in my sermon
show you, first, what are the grounds Of
complaint; then who aro the witnesses in tho
cause, and lastly, who are tho advocates
When trial Is called on, tho first thing Is
to havo the indictment read. Stand up, then,
o Christian man, and hear tho indictment Of
tho court Of high heaven against thy souli
1t Is oh Indictment Of ton counts, for thou
tltlSO ull VI lhuuSCtlJ DlOAcA XII CIlo VSn
commandments. You know how it thun-
dorcd OIL Sinai, and when God camc down
how the mountain rocked, and the smoke as-
ccndcd rs from q Hnoldering furnace and
tho darkness gathered thick, and tho loud,
deep trumpet uttered the words: "The soul
that sinneth, it shall diel" Are you guilty or
not guilty. Do put in q negative plea too
quick, for 1 have to announce that "all have
sinned and come short Of the glory of God.
&c, %l>ak tl~ "a. ,ok
Whosoover shall keep tho whole law yot
offend in one point, ho is guilty Of all.' Do
not, therefore, be too hasty in pronouncing
yourself not guilty.
This lawsuit before US also charges you
with the breaking of n solemn contract.
Many time did we promise to be tho Lords.
We got down on our knees and said: 20
Lord, l am Thino now and forever" Did
you keep the promise1 Have you stood up to
the contract / go back to your first COM
munion You remember it as we'll as II 10
woro yesterday. You know how tho vision
Of tho cross roso before you. You remember
how from the head, and tho hands, and the
side, and tho feet, there came bleeding forth
these two words: "Romember mol" You
recall how tho cup Of communion trembled
in your hand when you first took it; and as
In n sen sholl you may hear, or think you
hear, the roaring Of the surf even after tho
shell has boon talkon from the beach, 80 YOU
lifted tho cup Of communion and xa'henrd
in it the surging Of the great ocean Of O
Saviour's ogony; and you came forth
from that communion service with
face shining though you had been
on tho Mount Of TRANSPORTATION; and tho
very air seemed tremulous with the love OF
Jesus, and the woods, and the leaves and, the
grass, and the birds wcro brighter and
swcetcr voiced than ever BEFORE and you said
down in the very depths of your soul: "Lord
Thou knowcst all things; Thou knowest that
lovo thee" Have you kept tho bargain, o
Christian mani Have you not sometimes.
faltered when you ought to have been truoi
l1avo you not been proud when you ought to
have been humblei Have you not played
tho coward when you ought to have been the 4
hero1 charge 1t upon you and I charge it
upon myself--ue have broken the contract.
Still further, this lawsuit claims damages
ut your hands. The greatest SANDER On the,
Christian religion is ON inconsistent pro-
fcssor Tho Bible says religion is one thing;
wo by our Inconsistency say religion is some
other thing and what Is more deplorable about
1t is, that pcoplo can see faults In others while
thoy cannot SEQ any in themselves If you
shall at any time find some miserable old
gossip, with imperfections from the crown Of
her head to tho sole Of her foot, perfect
blotch Of sin herself, she will go tattlng,
tattling, tattling all the years Of her life,
about tho Inconsistencies Of others, having no
Idea that she is inconsistent herself. God
save tho world from the gossip, female and
malel think tho males aro the worst Now
tho chariot Of Christs salvation goes on
through tho world, but it Is our inconsisten-
cies, my brethren, that block up tho wheels,
while all along tho line there ought to have
bccn cast nothing but palm branches, and
f},n c1, ,Nt,t 1N,,lI hoY ~
to tho son Of David"
Now you havo heard the indictment read
Arc you ready to plead guilty or not guilty.
Perhaps you arc not ready yet to plead. Then :
the trial will go on. The witnesses will be :
called, and wo shall have the matter decided
In tho name Of God ] now mako proclame- q
tion: "Oyezl oyezI oyozl Whosoever hath
anything to offer in this trial, in which God,
is tho plaintiff and tho Christian soul the do
fcndnnt, lot him now stop forth and give tes-
timony In shis solemn trial" n..'
The first witness that I call upon tho stand
In behalf Of tho prosecution Is the World-all
critical and observant Of Christian character.
You know that there arc people around You
who pcrpetuelly banquet on tho frailtics Of
Gods children You may know, If you have
lived IN the country, that q crow cares for
nothing 60 much as carrion. Thero nre those
who imagine that out Of tho faults Of Chris
uans thoy can mako a bridge Of boats
across tho gtream Of death, and they
nro going to try It; but, alas
for tho lnistalei When they get amid
stream away win go tho bridge and down will
go their soul to pordition o, World Of the
greedy oye and the hard heart, como on tho
stand now and testify in behalf Of tho prose.
cution against this Christian soul on trial
What do you know about this Christian mani
"Oh," says tho World, II know a great deal
about him. He talks about putting his
treasures in Heaven, but he is the sharpest
man in a trado ever know. He seems to
want us to believe that no Is child of God,
but ho 10 just full Of imperfections. do not
know but am great deal bottcr than h6 Is
now. Oftentimes ho is worry earthly, and he
talks SO littlo about Christ and 30 much about
himself, nm worry glad to testify that this s
n bad man," ~ ,